A Prayer For Your Heart

I was hangin’ out with my sister and brother-in-law this weekend up in Illinois because I was preaching at the church he is a pastor.

When we were at their house I saw a book on prayer that I think was my grandpa’s. It was written in 1936. The name of the book is Taking Hold of God by Samuel Zwemer. He was a well known missionary in the early to mid 1900’s. As I was reading the book I came across this prayer by George Matheson that I thought was amazing. Here ya go…

My heart needs Thee, O Lord, my heart needs Thee! No part of my being needs Thee like my heart. All else within me can be filled by thy gifts. My hunger can be satisfied by daily bread. My thirst can be allayed by earthly waters. My cold can be removed by household fires. My weariness can by relieved by outward rest. But no outward thing can make my heart pure. The calmest day will not calm my passions. The fairest scene will not beautify my soul. The sweetest music will not make harmony within. The breezes can cleanse the air; but no breeze ever cleansed a spirit.

This world has not provided for my heart. It has provided for my eye; it has provided for my ear; it has provided for my touch; it has provided for my taste; it has provided for my sense of beauty – but it has not provided for my heart. Provide Thou for my heart, O Lord! It is the only unwinged bird in all creation; give it wings.

My prayer is this would encourage you today. I pray you would find hope in the reality that your heart is deceitful above all things, yet He can and wants to cleans your heart in Himself.